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Saturday, 23 June 2007

Big Things

Edward Burtynsky, Shipbreaking # 4, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2000

By Eamon Hickey

Last year, T.O.P placed Edward Burtynsky in the No. 3 spot on its Ten Best Living Photographers List, describing him, in Mike's words, as "the landscapist of the 21st century, the visual chronicler of humanity overrunning Earth."

Or you could take Burtynsky's own self-assessment, a simple equation he laid out for reluctant Chinese authorities in the course of explaining to them why they should let him photograph the Three Gorges Dam. "I photograph big things," he told them, "and you make big things."

Burtynsky recounted that (possibly apocryphal) story last Wednesday night at the official U.S. premiere of "Manufactured Landscapes," a feature-length documentary film about the photographer and his work made by fellow Canadian Jennifer Baichwal (below right). The film, which has won a pocketful of notable awards at film festivals and the like, will be showing at Film Forum in New York City for the next ten days, then meanders around a couple dozen U.S. cities between now and December. (See the Zeitgeist Films website for playdates.)

The film is largely shot in China and ostensibly follows Burtynsky as he makes images of that country's intense industrial expansion. It's artful, interesting and thought-provoking throughout, and worth making an effort to find if it makes its way anywhere near you. Photographers should be aware, however, that "Manufactured Landscapes" offers very little about Burtynsky's creative process and nothing about his photographic technique (other than what you can glean from fairly brief sequences of him using a 4x5 field camera). The film is much more interested in the ideas and questions implicit in Burtynsky's work—ideas about the foundations and consequences of our industrial/consumer economy and social structure.

Mercury Films, which produced "Manufactured Landscapes," tells us that the film has also been sold in a dozen or so other markets around the world. Check these distributors for playdates in their respective regions:

Comments

Saw the Burtynsky photos of China about a year ago and couldn't believe the technical skill of the guy, never mind the fact he chooses great subjects. If you haven't seen these works I can only say that the web just can't do them justice, these are huge pieces, some bigger than 6 feet, and the detail is incredible. If the guy is displaying in a town or museum near you, RUN, don't walk, to see his work. The three gorges project is the best large format photography I have seen, and presents humanity at a unique crossroads, there is clearly a statement being made, although I hesitate to put into words the sublime characteristics of such a masterful series.

I saw this film at Sundance Film Fest this year in January. This was by far my favorites film of the show. The film not only honored Burtynsky's photos, but also built upon his message with some incredible filming, such as the opening five minute pan inside a Chinese factory.

One thing that stands out in my mind is how they well they presented his photos: always starting with a small detail of a photo, like for example a couple workers and a tractor, and slowly zooming out to show the entire scene, such as an enormous quarry - it was a very effective way of emphasizing the grand scale of his photos.